


Tell Me Lies?

by YumKiwiDelicious



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Pre-War, Shippuden, ninja boyfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:21:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27515236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YumKiwiDelicious/pseuds/YumKiwiDelicious
Summary: "I am not afraid to die in battle."“I’m not afraid for you to die in battle either.”||The night before war, Gaara and Lee comfort each other with a children's game ||
Relationships: Gaara/Rock Lee
Comments: 11
Kudos: 81





	Tell Me Lies?

“Tell me lies, Gaara?”

"What?"

The weary Kazekage lifted his head, pale nose wrinkled in confusion. He had of course felt Lee’s unbridled chakra signature approaching, but he hadn’t expected the taijutsu specialist to stop and make conversation, positive they all had more important things to focus on right now. Still, when he looked up from his position huddled in the corner of the jounin barracks, Lee was there, smiling benignly down at him and looking like he was about to get comfortable. Gaara did not concede him any space and so the two ended up pressed closely together all along their sides. Neither seemed to mind terribly.

The whole of Konoha had seemed to heave a sigh of relief when the ninjas from Sand had arrived. Word of the war about to be fought had spread far and wide and while several villages had pledged their aid to Leaf, the shinobi of Suna had a reputation for a certain level of lethalness that put everyone at ease surprisingly. With them there, it was possible the world stood a fighting chance. Lee and his friends especially had rejoiced at the appearance of their old friend and his siblings on the horizon. Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari had played down the drama of it all, but accepted the several gifts and well wishes thrust their way nonetheless.

Still, celebration had quickly dissolved into a somber mood that surrounded them all like a dark cloud as they began to strategize for the next day. Gaara disappeared for hours with Kakashi and their respectful advisors as the other Konoha shinobi made room for their guests in their barracks and homes. The Hokage manor was already overflowing with leaders of other villages and clans who had come when called. There had not been a single cushion to spare which was why Gaara had ended up in the barracks with other high ranking ninjas, his brother included.

It was awkward to say the least, several of the shinobi present feeling uncomfortable with a Kage sharing their accommodations, nevermind one as powerful and intimidating as Sabaku no Gaara. Even all packed in like they were, the only chakra signature that was truly noticeable was the young Kazekage’s as he made himself comfortable on a spare roll in the corner knowing he would not sleep a wink that night. He was given a rather large berth and he didn’t mind in the slightest which was why it was even more surprising when Lee materialized there before him.

"Tell me lies?"

The redhead pondered those words, confused. What was the young man getting at? Was this another one of those weird social games Kankuro was always claiming people participated in? Konoha’s Handsome Green Devil apparently read the timid annoyance on his friend’s face because he jostled him lightly, eyes and smile as bright as ever even with impending doom waiting for them at sunrise.

“Do you not have this in Suna?” he prodded, not waiting for an answer before continuing, “It is an academy game to see who is the best at telling lies.”

Gaara eyed him confusedly, not voicing how stupid the ‘game’ seemed, but instead murmuring, “But...I can tell if you lie.”

“That is the point! It is meant to help you practice control of your breath and heart rate should you ever be interrogated.” The former jinchuuriki still did not see how this would be a fun or useful game for Lee to play since he could not sense chakra or heart rates like his peers. His friend only continued smiling though, loud hands waving in front of their faces as he enthused, “For me it is more about just being able to tell a straight faced lie. Dishonesty is not in my nature.”

Gaara had to agree with that, having noticed years ago that the taijutsu specialist wore his every emotion openly on his face, his expressive eyes and eyebrows often sharing his inner thoughts without his permission. It was a terrible quality for a shinobi to have, but over time it had rather endeared the Kazekage to the Leaf nin. He would dare to say it was the reason he and Lee had become as close as they were, both emotionally and now physically. Silence lapsed between them for a beat, squished together there, as Gaara contemplated this ‘game’.

“So it would be something like...I’m  _ not  _ the Kazekage of Suna?”

“Precisely!” Lee encouraged, whole face split with his grin before he became contemplative, no doubt conjuring up a good lie. “Hmm...I do  _ not  _ cry often!”

The absurdity of that obvious lie actually caused Gaar to snort lightly, though his face remained impassive. Beside him, Lee was giggling uncontrollably, clearly not practiced enough to not laugh about his fib. Gaara allowed him to settle, eyeing the tears of laughter that streaked his face pointedly as the Leaf nin informed him it was his turn again.

“I hate cacti.”

Half an hour later, they were still huddled in the back of the barracks, but their legs were stretched out in front of them, Lee’s longer one tossed casually over Gaara’s as he thought. The game had been a series of laughing fits from Lee and bemused smirks from Gaara. If their noise bothered the others in the room, they said nothing, likely because they were afraid of the visiting Sand shinobi. Still, it was well passed lights out now and the two had brought their voices down to hushed whispers as they spoke directly into each other's ears. The lies so far had been interesting to say the least and had actually done enough to lighten Gaara’s perpetually somber mood. Lee had claimed with a face red from suppressed laughter that he was the well-loved ruler of the flourishing Kingdom of Peace. Gaara in turn had revealed he secretly managed an equally flourishing plant shop in Suna. Lee announced it was called ‘ _ Prickle Your Fancy _ ’. The Kazekage had actually huffed a sincere laugh at that one in particular and his companion had swelled with pride and humor of his own.

"This is horribly boring, you know?" Gaara declared after a while.

Lee's elbow gently nudged his side. He liked that the older boy was affectionate like this; that he didn’t let propriety dictate their interactions after all these years like some. Lee was entirely physical with his approach to life. He touched, and hugged, and nudged and Gaara let him. His affections were sometimes a bit rough around the edges, but then so was the Kazekage himself.

"I can surely remember the last time I enjoyed myself like this before a battle."

His voice was rather light-hearted, even pitched low as it was, but he had obviously forgotten the main point of the game was to practice deception. His heart skipped and skidded around in his chest and his breathing hitched. Gaara could have told he was lying even without being pressed flush against him. "You're happy."

The former jinchuuriki kept his gaze forward as Lee turned to face him skeptically, his pulse thumping again. Their shoulders were touching. He was tense and warm, proud and insecure, curious and scared. He knew that Gaara knew; he was terrible at lying. For a while Lee seemed to hover on the brink of saying more, then his fingertips brushed Gaara’s elbow and he settled down again.

“Tell me lies, Lee?”

After a small hesitation, he spoke reluctantly. "I never resented my teammates for being able to use ninjutsu. I never hated them.” 

Gaara could feel the way Lee’s heart clenched with regret, not willing to open up completely as the chakra he couldn’t control ebbed and flowed all around them unchecked. The redhead made a thoughtful hum at the fib and tucked his chin down. 

“I never faked an illness so that Temari would be ordered to stay by my bedside. She wanted to be there and she wasn’t afraid of me.” His slender fingers inched towards Lee’s on his arm; just barely brushed the skin of his hand. His mouth felt dry as the desert. “I never hurt her.”

He could feel Lee nodding, just a little. "You do not worry over your past mistakes, nor do you regret anything you have done. You do not think it makes you any less of a shinobi, Kazekage, or brother.”

It was a clear lie and it hurt to have his deepest wounds pointed out by someone else as easily as that. Someone who didn't even know him half as well as his siblings should know him, but then again, maybe that was the trick. They had been strangers then enemies then allies then friends and now...this. Lee's life and recovery had been so entwined with Gaara’s own that it almost seemed to make sense that the Leaf jonin would be able to relate to him on a deeper, as of yet untouched, level. It was crazy. It was perfect. It was them bonding over a silly game of lies that gave them enough cover to shift the masks and show the pain.

“I don’t even want a family,” Gaara said at last, voice barely a rustle of sand on the wind.

"Neither do I," Lee replied far too quickly.

Gaara's hand continued it’s the slow journey outwards again, brushing over Lee’s arm and shoulder, ghosting over his pulse until his fingertips pressed right where soft skin grew tight over his Adam’s apple. He took his pulse. He was lying. 

"I can talk about this with others openly. They would never dare to judge or pity me", he admitted.

Lee turned, his chin bumping along Gaara’s wrist and his wet breath slithering up the other boy’s arm. Gaara cast him a long sideways look, but did not move to make full eye contact. Lee’s heart was racing just there beneath his fingers. He didn’t need any more clues as to the taijutsu master’s feelings. 

“You are never welcome to talk to me.”

Gaara allowed a small smile to tug the corners of his mouth upwards. He wondered if it was as unsettling as Kankuro had always sworn it was. He snaked his hand away from the other ninja’s throat, a little distraught Lee had let himself be placed in such a hold to begin with. Lee chased the contact in his own way, offering his hand palm up in Gaara’s lap. The Sand shinobi brushed his fingers lightly, not unlike the way he would gently stroke the tips of a plant to check growth and health. Lee shivered and reminded Gaara it was his turn.

"I never wonder what my father would think of me anymore, I’m positive he would be proud and would have changed his ways to keep our family together. There is nothing more important than family.”

Lee closed his long fingers around his, like a Venus fly trap closing around unsuspecting prey. 

"I do not think about the battle ahead of us often,” he offered, wide eyes fixed on their hands. His cheeks were slightly sunken, as though he had not been eating enough. His cheekbones were high and prominent; elegant by Suna standards. “I am positive everyone I care about will pull through and I do not worry for them.”

“I know exactly where I want to guide Sunagakure in the future.”

"I am not afraid to die in battle."

“I’m not afraid for you to die in battle either.” Now it was time for Gaara’s breath to hitch, his own pulse racing loudly in his ears as his mind flashed to the possibility. He was lying. He swallowed and murmured, “I don't believe in you. You're weak. Weaker than you should be. Weaker than all of them. You share your burdens everywhere and you let others control you.”

Lee’s eyes had stayed blessedly dry as their little game had grown more serious and morose the longer they played it. They were holding hands now, no longer pretending they weren’t, and the Leaf nin had dipped his head down to hear his comrade better. Using the angle to his advantage, Gaara let his head fall down onto the juncture between Lee’s neck and shoulder. He nuzzled in there as he had seen Temari do to Shikamaru in the brief instances they were allotted some privacy. Lee responded by pulling his hand away to throw his arm around the Kazekage’s slender shoulders. He replaced it with his other hand and huddled all around Gaara, his heart now beating close to the other boy’s. 

“I have not thought about dying having never known love. The thought does not scare me and the love of my companions will always be enough for me.”

Gaara blinked into the black curtain of Lee’s hair he had begun to nose at. “I don’t think about that stuff either and I can’t ever imagine loving someone like you.”

Lee’s voice trembled along with his pulse and uncontrolled chakra as he whispered, “Me either. I could never love you.”

“We have plenty of time to think about it though,” Gaara assured falsely, winding his arm, which up until that point had been squished between their bodies, around Lee. “There’s nothing else more important we have to worry about.”

“No war or villages to take care of.”

“It’s not stupid to hope.”

“Never.”

They stayed like that, wound around each other, apparently having run out of lies. Gaara could feel the way Lee dipped in and out of slumber, his heart going crazy every time he came to and found the redhead in his arms. But it was a good kind of crazy and so he didn’t move. The sun was just beginning to lighten the sky when the sound of other ninjas waking and beginning to prepare roused Lee. He was calm and cool now though and he squeezed Gaara more firmly against him as their obligations began to literally call their names. A pair of full lips brushed Gaara’s brow.

“I knew you would want to play with me,” the Leaf nin murmured into red hair, apparently still in the mood to play just a bit. Gaara scoffed, beginning to untangle himself slowly. He could feel that he was smiling and from the way Lee was ogling him dopily, he just knew it wasn’t as Kankuro had described. 

“I never want to do anything with you”


End file.
